I don’t know what it is about August. It seems like we’re busier than ever, trying to fit in those last bits of summer fun while getting everything ready to go back to school. So to enjoy those few free minutes here and there, we took a break to make these simple straw rockets.

Here’s what you need:

Scissors

Painter’s tape or masking tape

a “bendy” straw (the kind you get from the store in packs of 100)

a “non-bendy” straw with a slightly larger diameter (the kind you get from fast-food restaurants)

Steps for assembly:

First, cut the “non-bendy” straw in half.

Then, cut four 1-inch pieces of tape.

Now you just need to assemble it. At one end of the straw, put a piece of tape across the middle so that the ends are sticking out, like so:

Then, place a second piece of tape so that the left end of the tape meets and sticks to the right edge of the first piece of tape. Here… it’s more self-explanatory in this photo:

Now, attach the third piece of tape so that your straw looks like this:

Take the last piece of tape and cover the other open end of the straw, like so:

Then you slide your finished rocket over the long part of the “bendy” straw, which serves as your launcher: